That Night Under The Stars
by MidnightSakuraBlossom and SYD
Summary: Outside on a route stargazing always causes Ash to recall just about one of the only peaceful memories that he has with Gary. Recalling this makes him realize...maybe there's more to their relationship than what they assume. Light Palletshipping one-shot.


**This was supposed to be published on Valentine's Day. I'm a bit late, right? -_-**

**It's just pointless little Palletshipping one-shot, it won't have any more chapters or any sort of continuation...but a part of me really wanted to write this because the latest thing for the couple I wrote was Five Steps To Falling In Love. And THAT was a few months ago, I feel rusty. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: If I owned Pokemon, Palletshipping would be freaking CANON.**

**~MidnightSakuraBlossom**

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That Night Under The Stars

Written By: your fellow Palletshipping fanatic, MidnightSakuraBlossom

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After traveling a while through Johto, Ash, Brock, and Misty decided to take a little break on the road. They were supposed to be getting to one of Ash's big gym battles coming up in the next city over, they had to get there before Team Rocket caught up with them and stupidly tried to steal Pikachu or mess with them.

But, at least Team Rocket had been slowed down for a _good enough_ amount of time. Pikachu had sent them a thunderbolt so big that it blasted them off way into some mountain formations with the charred and sparking remains of some bizarre machine that tried to steal him and Brock's resting pokemon. Ash could not fight back an amused smile as he recalled that moment, it was way too funny to ignore.

Night had fallen over the trio and so they decided to rest in the middle of some barren fields. They were just on the route outside of the targeted and desired city, the aspiring boy had insisted that they could have made it through the tall grass and caves and into civilization before the sun had set...but Brock and Misty already were setting up camp just as the words left his mouth.

Nights like this made Ash too pumped up to get any sleep. It was the big night before an encounter with the next gym on his list and he had really been training Pikachu and all of his other pokemon specially for this moment. Pikachu, Misty, and Brock were snoozing back in the tent, but Ash was sitting on the could ground on the hillside gazing up at the stars.

When he couldn't sleep, he liked to just kick back and recall various times of his life that he particularly enjoyed. He sat there absently gazing up at the half-moon and stars scattered about the vast sky, Ash thought about his old life back in Pallet Town.

For ten years, he lived there in that small town with a pretty normal life. His mom took care of him and despite being a little too in the way sometimes, he still loved her. There was Professor Oak whom was a pokemon professor and liked to talk with him a lot, it was because of him that he befriended Pikachu and became a trainer. And then there was Gary, Professor Oak's grandson who was his rival.

For some reason, nights like this made Ash recall a memory about his rival. He didn't want to, because Gary always got under his skin with the way he was always beating him to places and all but treating him like dirt. If he could make it to this city by sunrise, battle the gym leader, he'd finally be able to brag!

But, anyway, this memory was quite an interesting one. Most of the moments that he and Gary ever had together back home made his blood boil to think about it, as they were a ton of impromptu contests that he never really won. This memory that triggered after looking at as starry sky was a bit of a more peaceful moment.

Ash's lips remained a flat line as he gazed up at the starry sky, but he still lied back down into the tall grass and didn't bother to let this memory fade away. For now, he actually didn't _mind _thinking about Gary.

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_Ash lied on the cold ground, letting the blades of grass sway and touch his cheek and his arms folded behind his head to press into the earth. He liked lying out here in this field; it was hardly outside of Pallet Town and it was a place where wild pokemon came out, but they were mostly harmless._

_He had a wonderful view of the starry sky. Brown eyes blinked slowly as to not miss a moment of the bright, twinkling bodies of light to decorate the dark horizon. The moon was full and impressive. It was a bit late at night, but his mother was already asleep and he wasn't particularly tired. He was anxious, because the next day was going to be his tenth birthday._

_Like any other kid in his position, Ash was excited. Not only was he that much closer to being a teenager, but ten was the age that most kids set out to become pokemon trainers! He always loved the creatures and desired to make friendships and strong bonds with them, maybe acquire some success along the way. He also wanted to be a strong pokemon master. His dream._

_Ash's lids closed momentarily as he rolled over into his side. However, when they opened, he yelped and jumped upright to a sitting position._

_There, lying on the ground in a relaxed, lazy position much like his previous, was Gary Oak. The boy was merely staring up at the sky and not paying attention to him at all. But Ash could tell by the look on his face that he was contemplating something._

_Naturally...all Ash could wonder was _how long _the boy had been lying there at his side. He never once heard the padding of footsteps, nor did he detect the almost silent rustling of grass flowing in the evening breeze. If he were to ask how long he had been there, Gary would only be a smart aleck about it._

_Like he always was, really._

"_Good view tonight." Gary commented, noticing that Ash had finally become of his presence. His eyes merely shifted to view his surprised face._

"_Gary!" Ash pushed himself up to a simple sitting position, folding his legs and yet his gaze never left Gary. Weird? Kind of...he didn't know why he was suddenly fascinated with the other boy._

"_Yeah, I couldn't sleep either. After looking out the window, I realized how easy star-gazing would be." Gary explained totally casually, his lids closed in a relaxed manner as he breathed in the night breeze and the faint scent of the grass surrounding him. "Ordinarily...I wouldn't be lying here with you, ashy boy. You know that, right?"_

"_Heh, I wouldn't want to sit here with you either!" Ash looked back up at the sky._

"_But I'm just going to let this opportunity to insult and put you down pass me by. Just for the calmness of the moment." Gary finished, the corners of his lips twitched and formed a smirk. He almost thought they would make a smile, judging by the way this calmness between them – rather than the usual childish back and forth exchanges that went pretty much nowhere – he kind of found it enjoyable._

_At least, that was what Ash had suspected when he took notice of the smirk. He was able to look deeper beneath the surface for this one rare exception, he could see that Gary's smirk was not at all on the same wavelength as his usual cocky and arrogant ones that he had always seen._

_Heh, why did that seem kind of _endearing _to him? How weird..._

_A silence hung again. The two continued to gawk at the scenery above them. Even if Pallet Town still had a few homes and buildings, the area outside wasn't bad for star-gazing. While the sky was illuminated with it's countless heavenly bodies, Ash lied back on the ground too._

"_Tomorrow...that's your birthday, right?" Gary asked momentarily, opening his dark eyes and quirking a brow. He didn't care much about remembering people's b-days...but he always liked to mess with Ash on that day._

"_Yeah. It is."_

"_You're going to be ten years old...the age of which kids usually set out on journeys to be pokemon trainers."_

"_Oh yeah! I can't wait for that, I'm going to finally convince Professor Oak to lend me a pokemon so I can head out on the road!"_

_Gary noticed his enthusiasm about the topic, but he didn't expect less from him. He lied there and listened with fake interest about becoming a pokemon trainer and hopefully a fantastic one, but he secretly didn't mind doing this._

_Ash didn't have to know this, forever._

_Honestly, Ash expected them to get into a quarrel about whom would be a better pokemon trainer if...one of them could ever blow everyone else away and make them eat their dust as they dominated the path of victory as pokemon masters. They didn't. No voices were raised._

_In fact, there wasn't much conversation. But they knew that the other was there._

_Actually, it felt a bit nice. Which was strange, really. But despite all of the questions storming in the boys' heads...they felt no reason to walk away or start an argument. This would probably be the last moment alone they would have._

_That was just the vibe they picked up._

"_Do you really think you'll have a chance?" Gary asked, it wasn't really challenging. It wasn't out of worry that he would actually succeed. It was out of...trying to break the ice? "It's gonna be a tough road and then there's the chance you'll never be able to get your pokemon to cooperate?"_

"_I'm not worried."_

"_In case you're not aware, I'm gonna go out there myself."_

"_Yeah, now I'm _really _not worried."_

"_And I may take a shot at the pokemon league. If I really wanted to, I could become a pokemon master and pretty famous. Leaving you in the dust."_

"_As I've said before, I'm not worried about anything."_

_Gary's eyebrows raised so high probably close to his hairline. He sat up as well and turned to Ash smirking more or less satisfied at him. "Why are you not bothered by this?"_

_Ash's reply was a simple one. Thought out, with meaning, but he still looked back at the sky was a smile formed on his lips. "'Cause we'll encounter each other."_

_He didn't say anything else, and the context of that reply seemed a bit ambiguous. Gary was puzzled for a little while, he sat up as well, his composed expression cracking and revealing one of confusion. He tried so hard to think about what he was going to say next._

_But he obviously changed his mind. Because Gary remained silent and sat up, looking at the vast sky and awesome scenery. He hoped that Ash couldn't see the smile that curved on his lips or the unmistakable red shade sneaking upon his cheeks._

_If Ash did notice, he kind of didn't think anything of it. Although this would prove to be a not so good decision in the future when he looked back on this._

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His arms that were folded and resting over his chest pulled closer against his body and his fingers dug a little into his shirt. Ash continued to look up at the beautiful display, although he was caught up within that flashback. There was something about that moment with Gary that left him without much words to describe it.

If he could, he would skim over some of the little details that he assumed didn't need to be revealed to anyone but himself. Like what he really meant when he said that he wasn't bothered by Gary becoming his rival because...they would get to encounter each other.

...In, maybe, a pokemon battle or something? No, that wasn't it. Ash knew it. But he didn't find it necessary to explain why.

As his brown eyes followed the motion of the dark and mysterious clouds moving in front of the full moon above him, His lips curved to a smile as he contemplated how he didn't mind having Gary around in his life. He secretly didn't mind it at all. And even though the other boy got under his skin from time to time, this was all for the best.

In fact, Ash couldn't wait to encounter him again. Hey, maybe he would get to encounter Gary somewhere along the way and catch up. Disguising his delight to see him with some forced frustration and throwing around words that honestly didn't have much meaning behind them to back up the intensity.

Maybe one of these days Ash would finally come and out explain to Gary how he really felt. But that could wait, because the relationship they had right now was already plenty exciting for him.

The End

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**On Valentine's Day, my boyfriend proposed to me (for the second time) and I accepted. And I was in such a great mood that I decided to write this up. With this kind of theme. Because honestly, me and him have a rather "interesting relationship" as well. Haha. I'm still kind of smiling right now as I type this A/N you probably don't care about at all.**

**Anyway, I hope that you liked this...painfully short fic. I still totally love Pokemon so don't expect me to stop writing here. I've already written "Lost Lyrics To The Pokemon Theme Song (formally known as The Never Ending Theme Song)", "Five Steps To Falling In Love" and "When Everything Crashes Down", and this one. My next one will probably be a comedy and maybe about the pokemon rather than the humans/trainers.**

_**See this button? Click it and make a fellow author's day with come comments and criticism! :)**_

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